Man in Black
by rckyfrk
Summary: Counterpart to Lady in Red. All action and dialogue is the same, but it's all from Daryl's point of view. Can be read separately from Lady in Red, one after the other, or simultaneously.
1. Wedding

**Man in Black – Chapter 1 – Red**

It was a warm summer day – not the typical Georgia hot – but warm enough for Daryl to grumble about having to wear a suit and tie. He looked over at Rick and Glenn and saw they were just other passengers in the same boat called the SS Maggie.

He knew all these details were her doing, and no one would ever talk her out of them. He did his best to stay out of her way and not get run over by caterers prepping the food, musicians carrying in instruments, florists and decorators as they set up the guest tables under the tent in the spacious backyard. For a girl with the last name Greene, there sure was a lot of red in this wedding.

Daryl could hear the girls and Maggie's parents upstairs finishing getting ready. He leaned over to Glenn, who looked a lot less nervous than Daryl would've been to be marrying Maggie, and started teasing him, "Ya know, it's not too late. Me an' Rick would hold her back while you made a break for it."

Glenn fixed Daryl with an unamused look. "Ha. Just cause you don't have luck with women doesn't mean no one else does. I'm good. I'm happy to marry Maggie. Just hope I don't forget the words to my vows. She'd kill me if I left something out."

Daryl snorted and Rick patted the younger man on the back. "Don't worry," Rick said. "If you do leave something out, you never have to worry about having something to talk about. I'm sure she'll remind you every chance she gets."

"Until you screw up the next thing," Daryl added.

Carol came into the living room where the groomsmen were all waiting to be told where to go next. "Last checks," she announced, and made sure all three had their boutonnières and ties on straight. She gave them each a cursory glance, running her hands over their jackets to make sure no lint had found them since the last time she checked, made sure their lapels were just so, and informed them to get ready for showtime.

Sasha, one of Maggie's friends, came down first and met Rick at the bottom of the steps. He offered his arm to her and led her out to the side of the house where the ceremony was to take place. Beth, Maggie's sister, followed shortly after, taking her time down the stairs, her eyes never leaving her feet, as if she were afraid of falling.

Daryl couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked...nervous. Hell, he was nervous for her.

When she finally made it to the bottom, she raised her eyes to meet Daryl, and whispered, "Wow..."

Daryl bit back a grin when he saw her blushing. He chuckled as he offered his arm to her. He had actually been thinking the same thing about her – wow. He was suddenly a little nervous himself being so near such a beautiful woman. She was so unlike any other women in his life. He had met Beth several times since Maggie and Glenn had fist gotten together, and had recently entertained the idea of asking her out, but based on his most recent relationship, just couldn't stand the risk of rejection. Beth was so wholesome and pure, so sweet and innocent; what would she want with a rough and tough grease monkey like him? His heart sank a little as he reminded himself that she wouldn't want him, not in a million years.

Still, it was nice to have her on his arm, even if only for the ceremony, for the sake of his friends.

As they walked outside, Beth stammered, "I...um...I just meant...you look really nice. I've never seen you so spiffed up."

Daryl smirked down at her. "Yeah, working in the garage doesn't really lend itself to this fancy attire." His voice took on a mockingly pretentious accent. "Besides, grease stains are a bitch to get out of the silk tie." This earned him a laugh from her perfect mouth, and his heart swelled as his smirk widened into a full on smile. He couldn't help it; the girl just seemed to draw the best out of him.

They finally made it outside, to the end of the aisle, catching up with Sasha and Rick. Annette and Hershel joined them; Maggie waited inside for her grand entrance. Carol gave the signal and the musicians started playing the processional music. Hershel and Annette walked down the aisle first, smiling and waving at their guests as they passed. Once they were in their seats, Sasha and Rick stepped down the aisle.

Beth squeezed Daryl's arm slightly, and he fought the urge to flex his muscles under her fingers. He looked down at her. "Ready?" he asked gently. She nodded as he led them down to join the other attendants. As they reached the end of the aisle, Daryl lightly squeezed her hand. She looked up at him, and he was thrown by how beautiful she looked. In that brief moment, he wished he could be lucky enough to have her look up at him every day, just like that. She smiled at him as they split off to the opposite sides of the small altar.

The music transformed into Maggie's entrance music and the crowd rose to their feet and turned to watch her slowly walk down the aisle. She was nothing but smiles as her gaze focused on Glenn waiting at the altar for her. Daryl cast a glance at his friend next to him and couldn't have been happier for him...the poor sap.

The ceremony itself flew by in a blur. Daryl offered the rings to the minister when he was asked for them. The rest of the time his thoughts rotated between two things: 'Damn it's hot - who the hell decided to have an outdoor wedding in the middle of the summer in Georgia, and then decided to have the groomsmen in suits and ties?' and, 'God, Beth looks beautiful.' He'd only made it through his cycle of notions a half dozen times when the minister was pronouncing Glenn and Maggie as husband and wife, allowing the groom to kiss the bride. Glenn laughed, "Finally," before planting a kiss on his wife.

The guests erupted in applause. Daryl heard Beth's peal of laughter as she clapped for her sister. The musicians started playing Mendelssohn's Wedding March and Mr. and Mrs. Rhee all but ran down the aisle, hand in hand.

Daryl moved to the center of the aisle, meeting Beth once again, and offered his elbow to her to escort her back down the aisle. He guided her back toward the house, releasing her to hug her sister as he heartily shook hands with Glenn in congratulations. They were soon met by Sasha and Rick, then Beth's parents, until there was a flood of guests seeking to wish good luck and congratulations on the newlyweds before heading to the tent in the back yard.

The wedding party took their places at the head table. Once everyone was seated, the toasts began. Beth stood nervously, and Daryl found himself staring once again. Something in him wanted to stand up next to her so she wouldn't feel so alone, so stranded, so anxious. He thought he could see her fingers trembling as she picked up the cordless microphone and prepared to give her maid of honor speech. 'Shit, that means I'm up next," Daryl realized, and scrambled to remember what he had planned to say. He was still watching her as she brought the microphone to her mouth to speak. She cleared her throat, getting ready to begin her speech, but was stopped before she started by a screech of feedback through the speakers.

Daryl couldn't help but notice the blush spreading over her neck and cheeks or the sheen of perspiration glistening on her forehead. "Um," she began, and flinched at something he couldn't comprehend. "Hi, everyone. We're all just so glad you could come out here today to support my big sister as she married her best friend. Maggie has always been there for me. She always said she was the only one who got to pick on me, and watch out to anyone else who tried." The crowd chuckled at this, and Beth visibly relaxed, if only a little. She smiled as she continued, "And now, I've got a new big brother. Glenn, I could not have picked a more perfect match for my sister. I've seen you bring out the absolute best in each other. Now, before I start getting all mushy and all, I've got a little surprise for the newlyweds. I hope you like it." Beth turned to the DJ and gave him a nod. "Soul Sister" by Train started playing through the speakers. Beth took a deep breath and started singing.

The words she sang weren't important, at least not to Daryl. All he knew was this tiny little slip of a girl had one of the most beautiful voices he'd ever heard. All her nervousness melted off of her as she sang, as if she were made to be standing in front of people and performing. He racked his brain, trying to remember what it was she did for a living, and he was pretty sure she was still in college...or had just graduated...no, she was definitely in school. School! She was learning to be a teacher. As the song continued, he decided that, while he was sure she'd be a great teacher, she was wasting her musical talent.

Once the song ended, the crowd applauded loudly, and he joined right in with them. Beth raised her champagne glass and said, "To Maggie and Glenn, may you find every happiness in each other." She took a sip of the bubbly liquid and walked behind her sister and brother-in-law to hand the mic to Daryl.

Daryl took the microphone from her and chuckled nervously into it, realizing that he'd just spent the last couple minutes staring at Beth and thinking about her rather than going over his speech in his head. Swallowing down his nerves, he began, "Man, oh man, how the hell am I supposed to follow that? Guess I'm just gonna have to try. I wanna start by sayin that Maggie, you look absolutely beautiful…and Glenn, you don't look so bad yourself. When Glenn asked me to be his best man I had lots of questions, naturally. I started with, 'So who backed out? Is there gonna be an open bar? Just how crazy do you want your bachelor party?'" He paused as the crowd laughed, and Daryl continued, smirking at his friend, "Don't worry, Glenn. What happens in Atlanta stays in Atlanta. Glenn told me he wanted me up here mainly to increase my chances with the bridesmaids," He looked right at Beth, who immediately started blushing, "so I guess I'm pretty lucky there. He also asked me to keep it under three minutes, so I guess y'all are lucky, too." He raised his glass and faced them, and the rest of the guests followed suit. "Glenn, Maggie, it's obvious you two were made for each other. I only hope I find someone who can make me even half as happy as you two are together." 'If only,' he thought to himself. He toasted the couple, then looked straight at Beth before raising his glass once more and bringing it to his lips.

The reception continued, caterers serving the guests their salads, followed by the main course. Once everyone had finished eating, Maggie and Glenn cut the cake and fed each other, effectively stuffing frosting up each other's noses. Next came their first dance, followed by the couples' dance, where all the already married couples joined the newlyweds and were narrowed down until only the couple who had been married the longest was left dancing.

Daryl shed his suit jacket as soon as he could, but didn't mind walking around with the vest and tie combo. He spent most of the night talking with Rick, who had ended up dateless because his wife was home taking care of their little girl, Judith, who had some kind of summer cold that she just couldn't shake. Rick excused himself to call home to check on everyone, leaving Daryl to his own devices for the moment.

He looked down to the other end of the head table and saw Beth, sitting by herself, looking just as sad as sad could be. Just watching her as she watched the other couples dancing around on the temporary dance floor made him feel...something he hadn't felt in a long time. 'A pretty girl like that doesn't deserve to be left alone like that,' he thought to himself. Surely if she had a boyfriend, he'd be here with her, right?

Dismissing every doubt he had in his mind, he pushed himself to his feet and crossed over to stand behind her. "Hey," he said, hoping his voice was loud enough to be heard over the music. Apparently it was, and Beth whirled around to look up at him. He fought the blush threatening to color his cheeks as he felt her eyes roam over him. "You know it's illegal for the maid of honor to sit alone when she should be dancin'." He held out his hand to her and waited for her to take it before leading her to the dance floor in the middle of the lawn.

Daryl slid his hands to rest on the small of her back as she placed her hands lightly on his shoulders. They started swaying to Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." Daryl bent his head to murmur in her ear, "Nice job with your speech."

Beth blushed and smiled prettily. "Thanks," she mumbled, still looking nervous as she looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes. "You did good, too."

Daryl looked at her skeptically and scoffed, "Yeah…especially after you serenading everyone." He gave her a friendly smirk and chuckled as her blush deepened.

"I'm sorry about that. Didn't mean to one up you," Beth answered.

Daryl noticed her blush deepen even further, coming very close to matching the color of her dress. "Nah, s'alright," Daryl shrugged it off. "You sing real pretty. I, uh…I wouldn't mind hearing you sing again sometime." He paused, just momentarily, then plowed ahead before he lost his nerve. "There's a bar in town, has a karaoke night every week. You oughta go. Show off a little."

The look on her face was absolutely priceless. "R…really?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. Why not? I could, ya know, go along with ya. Be yer body guard," he grinned down at her and readjusted his hands on her, pulling her just a little closer. He couldn't deny how good it felt to hold her like this.

"A body guard? What kind of bar is this?" she smiled up at him, moving her hands so they were clasped behind his neck.

Daryl laughed softly, "Not as bad as what you're thinking. Just don't want a pretty little thing like you getting scared all by herself."

"You think I'm pretty?" Beth asked demurely, grinning up at him.

Daryl caught himself blushing. "Well…yeah…ya know…" he trailed off. How could he tell her that he thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd laid eyes on?

Beth pulled gently, bringing Daryl's head down next to hers. "You know, if we're being honest, you're pretty darn handsome yourself," she said softly, her lips grazing his ear and sending a chill down his spine.

Daryl's first reaction was to pull back, but Beth kept her arms wound around his neck, holding him close. "It's the suit," he tried to explain after finally finding his voice again.

This time Beth was the one to pull back, to look him directly in the eye. "No, it's not," she said decisively. Daryl cocked an eyebrow at her, questioning the validity of her statement with his look. Not finding any sarcasm or playfulness in her tone or in her look, he made up his mind.

He jutted his chin out, just slightly, almost testing the waters. His nose came close to brushing against hers. When she didn't pull back any further, he swallowed down his fear and gently kissed her soft lips. He kept the kiss quick and innocent, and pulled away, looking down at her, gauging her reaction. Beth blinked her eyes up at him, and gently smiled; Daryl grinned widely in return. She pulled him close and rested her cheek on his chest. Daryl held her tightly, lowering his head so his lips were near her ear. Beth could hear him singing, soft and low, "I said my darling, you were wonderful tonight."

**So, I'm trying a thing here. This story is meant to be a partner to Lady in Red, which is strictly from Beth's POV. I got to thinking, there's so many times where we either don't hear from Daryl or he gets a look that Beth can't interpret...really, just a bunch of times where I really want to delve into where he's coming from, so...yeah. Here we go. **

**As you read, keep in mind that any conversations they have will be exactly the same, so there will be a lot of repeated material. Also, anything revealed to Beth in Lady in Red may or may not be revealed earlier since you're getting Daryl's version of events first hand. **

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	2. Enchanting

After their dance together, Daryl walked Beth back to the head table and offered to get her a drink. She said she only wanted a glass of water, and while Daryl was bemused by her request, he went to retrieve it for her.

The newlyweds had made their rounds, greeting all of their guests, before the DJ announced that the happy couple was leaving the reception. They rushed off to their getaway car, knowing it was Rick and Daryl who had covered their car with streamers and soda cans strung from the rear bumper. What Glenn and Maggie _didn't_ know was that Rick and Daryl had hidden one more surprise – a jingle bell placed in the spare tire compartment. Now as everyone was waving their goodbyes, Beth stood near Daryl and was giggling up a storm. He had clued her in on their little prank. He certainly wasn't concerned that her laughter would give anything away; it seemed like she was in a cheery mood more often than not.

Daryl looked down at her and grinned. Her hair was starting to come loose from her up-do it had been set in for the wedding, the golden ringlets now framing her face. She met his gaze, and her smile took his breath away. He wanted to kiss her again, but knew he'd be pressing his luck. One quick peck while they were slow dancing was one thing, completely forgivable. For him to haul off and kiss her, surrounded by her friends and family? He scolded himself, knowing he wasn't that lucky, or that deserving; he forced his eyes away from her, back to the retreating taillights winding down the Greene's driveway.

Eventually the party came to a close. The guests drifted off, heading back home. Beth, Sasha, Daryl and Rick all went inside the house to change into their 'work clothes' as Hershel called them. "No sense in dirtying up your fancy party duds," he had said. Hershel and Annette supervised as the rest of the wedding party started taking down decorations, folding up chairs and tables, tearing everything down but the tent; the crew that had set it up would return the next day to collect it all.

They were finishing stacking chairs and tables near the driveway for the rental company to pick up in the morning. The six of them looked at the yard; aside from the still-standing tent and the trampled grass, they could hardly tell that a wedding and reception had taken place here just hours before. Hershel and Annette thanked them for their help and turned to go inside. Rick, Sasha, Daryl and Beth all hugged their goodbyes.

Rick and Sasha walked to their cars while Daryl hung back with Beth on the porch. He leaned against the porch railing as she made herself cozy on the porch swing. He was lost in himself as he watched her swing gently to and fro, her customary smile gracing her face and her eyes focused on the starry night sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" her voice cut through his thoughts, thoughts of him with the beautiful blonde sharing the porch with him.

He shook his head, trying to focus on the present, "What's that?"

"Everything about today. How nice everyone looked, the ceremony was beautiful, the weather couldn't have been more wonderful. The reception...everything was just...perfect."

Daryl nodded in agreement. In a tiny corner of his mind, he thought of the kiss they had shared, and added it to the list of things that made today perfect. He knew she was talking about things that made the day perfect for her sister and new brother-in-law, but he wasn't that selfless. _And that, Dixon, is why you don't deserve her anyway,_ he thought to himself. _Ya no-good, selfish redneck._

He felt his shoulders tensing, reprimanding himself once again, but still not able to tear his eyes away from her. She was beautiful...perfection. His heart lifted and sank simultaneously as he thought of her, thought of him being with her, knowing it was likely all in vain.

He didn't know how many minutes had ticked by when she suddenly stood up, turned and grabbed the old blanket that had been draped across the back of the porch swing, and walked across the porch. "I don't think I could go to sleep if I tried. I'm gonna go for a walk. Come with me?" Her words were a combination of command and request. She held her hand out to him, as he had done to her earlier that night to lead her to the dancefloor. He took her hand and followed her down the steps and along the driveway.

She led them down to one of the outer pastures, one that apparently hadn't been used for a while. Beth handed the blanket to Daryl, holding on to two of the corners. "Help me spread it out." He took the other two corners and they opened the large blanket and laid it on the ground. Daryl stood there, awkwardly, as Beth made herself comfortable by sitting on the cool fabric, pulling her knees up to her chest, and looked up at the night sky expanding above them. "I could just stare at them all night," she murmured. She looked up at him expectantly. "Well, aren't you gonna sit down?" she asked, patting the space on the quilt next to her.

Daryl wasn't sure what to do. His heart wanted nothing other than to get closer to her, but his mind was reminding him of all the ways this was so, so wrong. One more look at her, amidst the swirl of fireflies around her, her sweet face, lit up by the barely there moon, and he was pulled under her spell. He lowered himself slowly to the ground, still keeping his distance, but near enough to her that he could hear her sigh contentedly. He was torn again, not able to decide where to look: to the majestic night sky or the beautiful enchantress next to him. He figured the stars he could see anytime; he wasn't sure how many chances like this he'd be given to be so close to her.

"I love coming out here," she said, never looking away from the inky blackness dotted with shining beams of light. "It's so peaceful, coming out here, where I can just look up and I'm alone with my thoughts and can just...be, ya know?" She looked at him suddenly and hurried to add, a note of apology in her voice, "I mean, I'm happy you're with me." Her eyes widened in alarm, "I mean...not _with _me. I'm just glad you came with me. I...oh, geez, I sound like an idiot, don't I?" Her head sunk until her forehead rested on her knees.

Daryl chuckled. He was a little glad that he wasn't the only one who was nervous to be here, though he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. "It's okay. I get it. I've got a spot like this, too, where I like just...being."

"You do?" she looked up at him eagerly, glad to be spared of any part of her embarrassment.

"Yeah. There's a pond not far from my old man's house. I used to go there a lot to get away from...everything. Now I just go when I need to think. It's not as quiet as it is here. Lots more frogs," he added, grinning at her.

Beth smiled broadly at him. "It sounds really nice."

Daryl swallowed hard. He didn't want to mess this up, but he was already so far under her spell, he couldn't resist. "Wanna go some time? 'S'only fair...you showed me your spot, I oughta show you mi...OH hell!" he cut himself off, blushing furiously and staring at his shoes. "I'm so sorry, Beth, I didn't mean..."

She placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "Daryl. It's okay. I know what you meant." He chanced a peek at her and could see she was blushing through her reassuring smile, even in the pale moonlight. "You sure I wouldn't be intruding or anything?"

He waited for his heart rate to slow down before answering. "No. You wouldn't be intruding. I wouldn't mind havin' someone to share it with," he muttered before staring at his shoes again. Her hand left his shoulder, the cool night air instantly surrounding where her warmth had seeped through his skin. He heard her shift slightly on the blanket then felt her arm brush against his. He fought his natural reaction to tense up, instead enjoying the feel of her against him. Beth lowered her head to rest gently on his shoulder; he cautiously brought his arm back to cross behind her, feeling the heat from her tiny body.

She hummed softly, "This is nice." He looked down toward her at the same time she turned her head slightly to face him. Her lips were dangerously close – so close he could feel her breath against his own lips. He was mesmerized by her, feeling the full power of her enchantment. Not able to fight it anymore, he lowered his head and kissed her, longer than he had the last time, though not by much, all the while keeping the kiss chaste. He pulled back and sought her eyes, her reaction. He braced himself for her to pull away from him, to reject him, to laugh at him.

Instead she surprised him. After the briefest of moments, she reached up and sought his lips again, lingering against him. He felt her lips move against his, urging him on, and he happily complied, deepening the kiss ever so slightly. He brought his hand to cradle her along her jawline and allowed himself to taste at her soft pink lower lip. Her mouth opened slightly and the tips of their tongues met fleetingly before they both pulled away. He pressed one last, soft kiss to her lips before pulling back completely and gazed down at her.

Daryl let his breathing return to normal before attempting to speak again. "We oughta get you inside. It's pretty late."

Beth pouted slightly, "Just a little longer? I don't want to leave y...um...leave yet." Daryl raised an eyebrow at her stutter and grinned before nodding at her, bringing his arm to wrap closer around her, his hand resting on her hip. His thumb traced tiny circles just above her waist as she snuggled closer to him. "You know, Daryl, you can be pretty charming when you wanna be," Beth whispered. As their eyes met again, Daryl knew he was completely under her spell, and didn't want to do a damn thing to fight it.

**So, apparently this second chapter of Lady in Red was all from Daryl's perspective anyway, which makes me want to re-write the original so it's all from Beth's POV to be consistent with the rest of that story.  
**

**Thanks for reading – please leave a review!**


	3. Waiting

**Like I said before, I definitely have my writing mojo back, but it's very hard to find time to actually type everything out with a six month old baby demanding all of my time. Thank you all for your favorites, follows and reviews so far! They all mean so much to me!**

'A little longer' turned into well over half an hour if Daryl's internal clock was even close to being accurate. After a few minutes, Daryl noticed Beth tilting her head from side to side, most likely because she was suffering from the same crick in the neck that he had. He chocked it up to a coincidence that they both decided to lay back on the blanket beneath them to keep gazing up at the stars. He wasn't about to start fantasizing about things like fate and hope. Not just yet. Last time he started hoping for something, everything ended up blowing up in his face.

Beth's hand bumping his own pulled him from his darkening thoughts. He had almost pulled away, not wanting to crowd her personal space, but then he felt her brush the backs of her fingers against his. He could sense how nervous she was; hell, his pulse had quickened at her touch, and it was just fingers brushing fingers, a ghost of a touch. Testing the waters, because what if this was just an accident – he spread his fingers and caught hers between his. He heard her breath catch, just slightly, but then she pulled away, only to thread her fingers through his, holding his hand palm to palm. He could feel nervous tremors coming from her, so he gave her a light squeeze, just for that little reassurance, and saw out of the corner of his eye a wide smile stretch across her pretty face.

A shooting star flashed across the sky. Daryl was amazed at just how many stars were visible out here to begin with, let alone shooting ones. It had been so long since he actually had the chance to really look at them without the light pollution from the big city, and he realized just how much he missed it. He stretched out his arm, pointing the shooting star out to her at the same time she did the same to him. As he watched the tail disappear into the inky blackness, he dared to wish that this wasn't all in his head, that it wasn't just the champagne causing them to behave like this. It had been so long since he'd been alone with a woman and actually enjoyed himself, and he found himself really liking Beth, more than just a friend. _Let her be real. Let _this_ be real,_ he thought, looking over at her. _And don't let me fuck this up if it is._

"Make a wish," she whispered, turning her head to look at him.

Their eyes met and he answered her, "Already done. You?"

He watched, amused, as she scrunched up her face and made her wish. Finally, after a brief moment, she blinked her eyes open and spoke softly, "Me, too."

Another moment passed, Daryl's attention split between the wonder above him and the beauty next to him. He hated to bring it up, but decided it would be better for him to gently break the moment rather than have it shattered by her father coming out to look for his youngest and finding her with an old redneck. "We really should head back to the house. We stay out here much longer, your old man's likely to come looking for ya."

Beth sighed heavily, "Yeah, you're probably right." The tone of her voice told him she was just as reluctant to leave as he was.

Daryl pushed himself up, still holding her hand as she sat up to join him. He gave it a quick squeeze before releasing his grip and put his hand down to brace himself to stand. He immediately pulled his shirt down from where it had ridden up in the back, then offered his hands to help Beth to her feet. He noticed her hands were cool like the night air around them. He pulled her to her feet, noting that she was heavier than she looked...not that it mattered one bit to him.

"Here, help me fold." Daryl took the two corners of the blanket Beth had given him and followed her lead in folding it. Their fingers brushed together and Daryl swore he could see her pulse point in her neck quicken as they did; even the barely-there light from the crescent moon hanging low in the sky couldn't hide her blush. "Thanks," she whispered.

The way she smiled at him left him speechless – all he could do was nod and take the folded quilt from her.

They walked together through the field, the last of the fireflies lighting and alighting as they disturbed the tall grass around them. Eventually they reached the porch steps leading up to the house, where Beth climbed up on the first step, diminishing their height difference. She took the blanket from him, hugging it to her chest. "Thanks for staying out with me, Daryl. It was really nice."

Daryl grinned and ducked his head, kicking his foot at an imaginary clump of dirt. God, all he wanted was to haul off and kiss her, pull her close so he could feel her body against his, like he had when they were dancing.

He was lost in thought, mentally kicking his own ass for thinking she'd want him the way he found himself wanting her. A sweet thing like Beth would never want to mess with some old redneck like him. He almost jumped when he felt her press a quick kiss to his cheek. His eyes snapped up to meet hers, wide with surprise. She looked about as nervous about this as he was. Hell, maybe...

Daryl smirked at her and took a step toward her. He reached up to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear before bending his head low to capture her lips in a kiss. He gently moved his lips against hers, drawing a soft moan from her. He pulled away before the kiss developed into anything deeper, and Beth leaned forward, trying to maintain contact.

He chuckled softly, hoping she didn't think he was laughing at her; honest to God, he was just glad she apparently felt the same way he did. He kissed her once more, softly, before murmuring against her lips, "I'll call you?" It was a question, not a statement. His history with women had taught him never to assume anything.

Beth nodded, her eyes bright in the starlight. Daryl could hardly believe it. Maybe this wasn't all in his head. Maybe, despite being at least ten years older than she was, despite his horrible past and her seemingly charmed life, they actually had something much more than friendship growing between them. He kissed her once more, this time on the cheek, not trusting himself to be able to pull away if he kissed her sweet lips again, then backed away from her, not able to tear his eyes away from her just yet.

Eventually he had to turn around, not quite familiar enough with the Greene's driveway to be able to walk backwards the entire way to his bike. He swung his leg over the seat and looked back at her once more. She waved, the same sweet smile on her face. He grinned and waved back, started the bike's engine, and drove off.

He pulled into Merle's driveway, wondering what time it was, hoping the rumble of the bike's engine wouldn't wake anyone inside. He crept through the front door and palmed it shut, and used his hunter's tread to sneak down the hall to check on Jeremy. He truly was his son, sleeping in much the same position Daryl often did, one foot peeking out from under the covers. Grinning to himself and satisfied that the boy was fast asleep, Daryl made his way back through the house and down to the basement, where he collapsed on his bed. Sleep took its time finding him, visions of a blue-eyed blonde girl with a perfect smile apparently chasing the sandman away.

He vaguely remembered being woken up, Jeremy's hands on his bicep, shaking him as much as a ten-year-old could. He thought he'd responded, mumbling that he'd be upstairs in a minute. The next thing he knew, Led Zeppelin's _Immigrant Song_ was blasting through his stereo speakers, jolting him upright and out of his slumber.

"Rise and shine, baby brother," Merle crowed.

He rubbed the bleariness out of his eyes and saw Merle, cackling through a wide grin. He mumbled a profanity or two and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"'Sa matter, Darylina? Need some hair of the dog to get yer ass in gear?" Merle chuckled as he shut off the stereo.

"Ain't hungover," he growled. "Didn't hardly drink, anyway." He thought a moment, then frowned at his brother. "The hell kinda hair of the dog you got, anyway?"

Merle crossed the room to the foot of the stairs leading back up to the kitchen. "Relax. I ain't fallin' off the wagon that easy. Just givin' ya shit for sleepin' so late."

Daryl's eyes flicked over to the digital clock at his bedside. "Ten thirty-five?!" he never slept this late. Never. How the hell late was he up last night? He scrambled out of bed and over to his dresser, pulling out fresh clothes for the day.

"Calm down, son," Merle chuckled. "Don't want you gettin' the spins. Carol made sure to save ya a couple sausage links when ya get upstairs." He climbed a few steps then turned to face him again. "You know, ain't no shame in sleepin' in once in a while." Daryl shot him a surprised look. "Ya work yerself too hard, gunna burn out before ya have any real fun."

Daryl stood there in near shock at Merle's attempt at support. _Maybe those meetings are helping after all._ Speaking of which, he realized he only had a few hours before he needed to go with Merle to his Narcotics Anonymous meeting. He couldn't even try to muster any bad feelings about it, though. He was incredibly proud of his brother for making such a positive change in his life after all this time.

On the way to the NA meeting, Merle watched Daryl through curious glances as he drove across town. "So. How was the wedding? Ya bang any cute bridesmaids?"

"Shut up, Merle," he grumbled, silently cursing the tips of his ears for turning red without his permission.

"Oh _ho_! I figured that's why ya crawled yer ass home at three in the morning. She any good?" the older brother heckled.

Daryl gripped the steering wheel tightly, causing his knuckles to turn white, and ground out, "Ain't like that. Ain't that kinda girl."

Merle readjusted in his seat to partially turn to face Daryl. "And just how would you know? You meet her one night and know all about her, huh?" He chuckled, "Izz-at how it works now? Chick gets to talk before she lets ya get anywhere with 'er?"

"Shut _up_, Merle!" He just didn't need this shit right now. "I told you she ain't like that. Leave it alone."

Merle was quiet for about half a minute before a shit-eating grin spread across his face. "Darylina's in lo-ove..." he sing-songed, though with his rough voice, it was more like a jackass braying than anything. The tips of Daryl's ears were positively glowing. "So now what?"

Daryl shrugged. "Said I'd call her."

Merle cackled, "Hell's bells, brother. Ain't you the sweet one?" He paused another moment, "You know the rule, right?"

"There's a rule now?" he asked, less than enthused about hearing his older brother's opinions.

"Always has been," Merle said as he straightened in his seat. "You call too soon, you seem too desperate, like you ain't got nothing better to do."

The thing of it was, there was nothing better to do than call Beth, at least as far as Daryl could figure.

"Three days minimum." Merle finished.

Daryl glanced over, confused, "Minimum for what?"

"Wait time, baby brother. Wait time." He slid another glance at Daryl. "Though in your case, I might go four."

Daryl was lucky not to hit anything as he reached across the cab of the truck and slugged his brother in the arm.

It was Tuesday before Daryl realized he had yet to call Beth. He told himself he was just following Merle's "rule" to wait three days to call and avoid looking too eager, but deep down, he knew his nerves were just getting the better of him, although technically, Sunday was basically a freebie day anyway. She probably had all kinds of family visiting, and he wasn't about to pull her away from that. Besides, he'd been out of the game for so long he wondered if he remembered how to call a girl. Should he text her first? What the hell would he say? A nagging feeling in the back of his brain kept poking at him, telling him over and over not to get his hopes up too high. Beth wasn't the type of girl to lead him on, at least he didn't think so, but she _was_ sweet enough to smile and tell him it was okay to call her, even if she wanted nothing more than to be friends.

He mentally shook his head at that. She'd kissed him back that night in her Daddy's field. She was just as nervous as he had been.

She'd kissed him back. Many times.

Still, he was guarded, and anxious as hell about contacting her.

He decided on calling her that night and went to his contact list in his phone...only to find she wasn't in it. It dawned on him he didn't really have any reason to have her number in the first place. The contact he had was Glenn, her new brother-in-law, but he damn sure wasn't about to call a man just a few days into his honeymoon. Even though Carol was the wedding planner for Glenn and Maggie, he doubted she'd have Beth's phone number. Maybe she'd have the Greene's house number, but he'd only ask as a last resort. Carol and Merle had very few secrets between each other, and he'd already caught enough hell from his brother over this.

It was time to put his hunting skills to work, though he had very few tracks to try and follow. He didn't have a smart phone, and he wanted to avoid using the house computer to try and find her, not that he'd have a clue as to how to do that anyway. He grabbed the phonebook from the kitchen and snuck downstairs, doing everything he could to avoid Merle catching him and hearing more heckling from him. The problem was, their tiny town wasn't big enough to have their own phone book, so he was stuck going through the Atlanta area numbers. He found the page he was looking for and his heart sank.

There were at least a dozen listings for "Green, Beth." He figured she was in college, so might not be living with her parents anymore, so any of the addresses listed didn't help to narrow things down for him at all. He sighed and started dialing, dropping half the calls due to crappy reception in the basement, but he didn't dare tie up the land line, and he wasn't about to go outside where someone might hear him make a total ass of himself. That's all he'd need was for Merle to overhear or pick up in the middle of him trying to find this girl.

And what the hell was he supposed to say? They couldn't _all_ be his Beth.

_Slow down there, Trigger._

_Fine,_ he answered himself. _The Beth I'm looking for._

That wasn't much better.

So he came up with a game plan on how to ask if it was...the right Beth Green. He would just tell them it was him, just give his first name, maybe ask if she was Maggie's sister. If not, no harm done. Wrong number. Simple as that.

It all sounded so lame. He didn't even like using the phone. What the hell was he thinking?

He punched in number after number.

"No, sorry."

"Sorry, wrong Beth."

"I'm sorry sweetie, but if you wanna talk to me, I could certainly make time."

He hung up as quickly and graciously as he could on that one.

The mental stress left him exhausted. After he'd called all the Beth Greens, his eyes dropped down the page and saw "Green, Elizabeth." _Oh good, there's only another dozen of these, too._

_Dammit. Here goes nothing._

_Hell, what if she went by Green, B? Or she was unlisted? Or just had a cell phone, not a land line? Or lived on campus so her number wouldn't be listed here anyway? What school did she go to again?_

_This is hopeless._

At this point, it was close to nine o'clock in the evening. He remembered reading in some "Dear Abby" a long, long time ago, that it was poor manners to call after nine o'clock, as one never knew when another's bed time was, and he didn't want to be rude.

Well, that at least let him off the hook for the night. Not that he was looking for excuses.

Wednesday was another of Merle's meetings, so his window of opportunity was shortened dramatically. Damn him for imposing his "wait time rule." Daryl had no idea it would take this long to find her.

That night, he cracked open the phone book again, hoping for inspiration. His finger trailed past the "Green, H" section, feeling a tightening in his throat like he couldn't breathe and was about to be sick at the same time. He _really _didn't want to call her father. _What the hell kinda wuss are you? _yelled his inner Merle voice. (It seemed he couldn't escape him, after all.) Daryl sighed and swore he would try if it came to that, barely comforted by the fact that at least he knew what address to look for if it did.

The thing of it was, there were no "Green, H" listings in Senoia. Surely the house had a land line, and they didn't seem the kind of people to have an unlisted number. There weren't even any listings for "Green, Hershel," "Green, Herschel," "Green, H &amp; A." Nothing.

He went to his dresser where he'd left the wedding invitation, just to make certain of his address.

_Dr. and Mrs. Hershel and Annette Greene _

_and_

_Mr. and Mrs. Kent and Donna Rhee_

_request the honor of your presence _

_at the wedding ceremony of_

_Glenn Thomas Rhee_

_and _

_Margaret Elise Greene_

_July 12, 2014, 2:00 PM_

_to be held at the Greene Family Farm_

Daryl stopped reading there.

_Son of a _bitch!

Beth's Green had an 'e' on the end of it.

Daryl swore and collapsed back into the ratty old sofa, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes, his shoulders slouching in near defeat, groaning at all the time he wasted on numbers that weren't even close to being right, while his biggest hint was right under his damn nose.

Now he was convinced – Beth would never want to be with such a simple minded idiot like he clearly was.

Still, he'd said he'd call her, and he didn't want to be that guy that promised something and didn't follow through. Dixons were true to their word...at least, this Dixon was.

So he tried again as soon as he got off work Thursday afternoon, starting with the "Greene, Beth" listings, followed by "Greene, Elizabeth," not knowing if it was a blessing or a curse that there were a significant amount fewer than the "Green-without-an-extra-e" variety. Regardless, no one he spoke to could help him. He hung his head and worked up all the courage he had left before dialing "Greene, Hershel" in Senoia. He'd talked to Hershel once or twice before, mostly just "how do you do" and small talk like that at the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, and to him, small talk was just answering any questions directed right at him.

Daryl Dixon wasn't scared of anything, but he'd heard about girls getting butterflies in their stomach. Now he knew what they were talking about as each ring filled his ear, wondering who was most likely to answer, and what to say once they did.

"Hello?"

_Shit._ It was Hershel.

"Hello, Her...uh, Mr. Greene." Guys were still supposed to call the girl's father by their last name, right? "Is, uh...is Beth there?"

_Smooth. Idiot._

"She is. May I ask who's calling?" he replied in his kind but firm voice.

_Dammit. _"This is Daryl...Dixon."

"Daryl? Glenn's friend Daryl?" he questioned.

Daryl winced at that. "Yes, sir. I...I told her I'd call." _Because _that's_ what every father wants to hear... some thirty-something calling his twenty-something year old daughter._

It took Hershel a moment to answer, "I see." _Oh, that bodes well_. "Just a minute." Seconds that felt like hours ticked by as he heard Hershel walk through the house to find Beth. Then he heard, muffled, "Bethy? Someone for you."

Another few seconds and he heard her sweet voice, "Hello?"

"Hey." _A regular Casanova, aren't ya?_

"Hi." Did she sound nervous? Confused? Angry? He could certainly understand that. She'd probably given up on him ever calling her, making him feel like a complete ass.

"How ya doin?" _Please don't hate me._

"I'm fine. Yourself?"

Yup. She was mad. "I'm good." Daryl racked his brain for what to say. He could only think of one thing that might make her less angry. "Look, I'm, uh...I'm sorry for not calling sooner."

"Yeah...you should be." He swore he could hear her grinning through her sassiness. "Not that I was waiting around for you to call or anything."

_Oh, man, she was waiting for your dumb ass to call. _"Shit, I'm sorry, Beth. I didn't have your phone number. Not like I could call Glenn and ask. I ain't about to disrupt the guy's honeymoon. Do you know how many H Greens there are in the Atlanta phone book? Then I realized you have an extra E on your last name." She didn't need to know he'd called all the Beths and Elizabeths, too.

To Daryl's relief, her voice softened considerably. "Oh my god, Daryl. You didn't..." she trailed off with a laugh. "And after all that, you had to talk to my dad first? You poor guy."

_Thank God. _"Yeah. Plus I been real busy at work and going to meetings and stuff. I swear I wanted to call sooner. I didn't mean to leave ya hangin'." He hoped she knew he was truly sorry.

"You're forgiven, Daryl." His heart felt like it had grown wings. "I'll let you make it up to me by taking me out to dinner."

_Done and done._ He chuckled, "You got it." He glanced up at the clock on his night stand and realized it was time to put Jeremy to bed. "Hey, I really hate to cut this short, but I kinda need to get going. I'll give you a call to figure out dinner. Shouldn't take so long to get a hold of you again."

"I'll make it easier on you," she offered. "What's your cell number?"

He rattled off his number for her, and felt his phone buzz against his cheek soon after.

"Now you've got my cell number, too. Should make things go a little smoother, and you don't have to go through daddy's inquisition. I know how he can get."

"I appreciate that," he said. "I'll talk to you soon, I promise."

"Alright. G'night, Daryl," Beth spoke softly.

"G'night, Beth." He smiled, relieved and glad that the phone call hadn't been a total disaster. And she had made sure he had her number, so she definitely wasn't kidding about wanting him to call her again. "Sleep well," he added, then hung up.

It didn't take long for Jeremy to get into bed. At ten years old, and considering how distant his mother had been the past few years of his life, he was pretty used to getting himself ready for sleep. Daryl pulled the sheets up to cover him then ruffled his hair before saying goodnight and turning off the overhead light, partially closing the door behind him. When he got back to his room in the basement, he saved Beth's cell phone number in his list of contacts, and Hershel's house phone number just in case. He sent her a quick text: **_Thanks for the number. Have a good night._**

Within seconds, his phone buzzed, displaying her response: **_You're welcome. Good night._**

He grinned and breathed a sigh of relief. As he crawled into his own bed and stared into the darkness surrounding him, he found himself filled with a nervous kind of excitement as he wondered how their first actual date would be.

**Thank you so much for reading – please leave a review!**


	4. Stealing

**This was one of my favorite chapters to write in Lady in Red. I've got to say, I love the challenge of thinking like Daryl after being in Beth's head for so long. My plan, if I haven't mentioned it before, is to get this story all caught up to Lady in Red, then update them simultaneously. **

**Thanks as always to all the comments, favorites and follows for this story. They definitely make the words come out of my head faster knowing so many wonderful people are reading them! Special thanks to remisavant, property-of-murphy-macmanus and writerloverpsycho-pomp for your encouragement. **

A week had gone by since Daryl had gotten Beth's (and her father's) phone number. Beth and Daryl had been texting each other back and forth every day since, and it was driving him nuts not being able to hear her sweet voice. The problem was, he worked all day every day at Martinez Garage, so his hands were pretty much constantly greasy, if not too busy to be able to call her. Meanwhile, she worked evenings and weekends at the little ice cream shop in town, so finding time when neither of them was working so they could actually have a conversation was difficult. Nonetheless, he could sneak away in between customers to send a brief message, and was able to catch her when business was slow on her end.

Tonight was Glenn and Maggie's return from their cross-country honeymoon. He'd been invited, of course, and had planned on going, though if he were honest, it was more for a chance to see Beth than to watch the newlyweds open their gifts. The problem was, a couple of Merle's old buddies (neither of whom Daryl or Carol really approved of for obvious reasons) had rolled into town and wanted to meet up. Merle wanted to catch up, just for old times' sake, but Daryl didn't trust the three of them together unsupervised, so he was forced to tag along, not just as his brother but his sponsor, and make sure his brother behaved himself.

By the time they both got home, it had gotten pretty late, and he realized he still hadn't gotten back to Beth. He didn't want her to think he was ignoring her, and Carol and Merle were getting ready for bed themselves, so Daryl snuck out to the front porch and called, hoping to catch her before she went to sleep. For whatever reason, she didn't answer, so he left a message, "Hey, Beth. Sorry I missed you…and I, uh, I do miss ya. I, uh…ahem…I got real busy at work today and a bunch of stuff came up and I just couldn't get out of it. Anyway, uh, if you wanna gimme a call sometime tomorrow and we can figure something out for dinner sometime…maybe this weekend…or whatever. Uh…I guess I'll catch ya later. G'night, Beth."

_Think you could sound like a bigger idiot?_ he thought as he ended the call. Who knew leaving a message for a girl, even a sweet girl like Beth, could be so nerve-wracking? What he'd said was true, though; he missed her. Not just her kisses and seeing her pretty face smiling up at him (although that was definitely a part of it), but just being with her. Her presence made him feel calm and excited and happy and nervous all at once, and the longer he was away from it all, the more he craved it.

He headed back inside and downstairs to get himself ready for bed when the phone buzzed in his hand. He checked the screen and saw it was a text from Beth: **_Got your message. I'll try calling tomorrow._** Then a moment later: **_I miss you, too._**

His heart made a strange little flutter. She missed him? He smiled at the realization that, more than likely, this wasn't all in his head. She wasn't just being nice. Well, she _was_, but not to spare any of his feelings. She was genuinely a kind person, but this...this was more. He wanted to call her then and there, but knew it was probably getting to be too late to start up a conversation. In their random text conversations (if he could really call them that), she'd mentioned chores every morning on the farm, and he could only imagine how early she had to rise to get them done. With a sigh, he resigned to sending one last text: **_Look forward to it. Good night._**

He walked over to the dresser where his phone could charge overnight. Just as he'd attached the cord to the phone, it buzzed once more. **_Good night, Daryl._**

He chuckled to himself, the grin never quite leaving his face as he finished his nightly routine and laid in bed, once again staring into the darkness around him, his heart just a little lighter than it had been all day.

Something was buzzing on the other side of the space in the basement he called his room, something that was insistently trying to wake him up to answer it. It was too slow to be a phone call, and his phone didn't have any alarms to wake him in the morning – his stereo handled that task on its own, and it was still just as sleepy as he was. Somewhere in his sleep-foggy mind, he realized his phone was trying to let him know he'd received a text message. One glance at the digital alarm clock, whose numbers were glowing an ungodly hour even by his standards, clued him in as to just who would be texting him at this time in the morning. He trudged over to his dresser and grinned as his suspicions were confirmed.

**_Good morning. Hope I didn't wake you._**

The time stamp on the message indicated that Beth had sent it almost ten minutes ago. He typed out his response: **_Well worth it._**

Her reply was almost immediate.

**_You are so sweet._**

**_Did you sleep well?_**

**_I guess. You?_**

**_I slept alright. Had a hard time getting to sleep._**

Concern caused his eyebrows to draw together. What could be keeping her up?

**_Everything alright?_**

After a moment, her answer came in. **_I'm alright. Just kept thinking about you._**

That surprised him, but in a very good way. A statement like that deserved more than just a text. Daryl figured everyone was still sleeping upstairs, so he'd be able to sneak onto the porch without being obvious that he was making a phone call. He took a couple minutes to breeze through his morning routine, shedding his typical sleepwear and slipping on a sleeveless T-shirt and a pair of jeans, but forgoing wearing any shoes since he was only sitting on the porch. Once he was settled in the deck chair furthest from the end of the house with all the bedrooms, he scrolled through his contacts and dialed her number.

Beth's voice was like heaven, even through the tinny speaker of his cheap, old phone, "Hello?" That was all it took for a grin to creep across his face.

"Hi," he answered, realizing his voice wasn't quite awake yet and hoping he didn't sound too froggy.

He heard her take a quick breath in, "Um, what's up?"

His grin transformed into a smirk, not that she'd be able to see it. "So you're thinking about me, huh?"

"Maybe..." she said teasingly. He could just imagine her, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to start her day despite the sun barely peeking over the horizon. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the sun come up...and couldn't think of anyone else he'd want to share this with. Now if only it were in person... He shook his head and brought himself back to the conversation.

He let out a little laugh, "Well, I figured since ya woke me up, might as well make the best of it."

"I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm really sorry."

As if he minded in the least. "Nah, needed to get up anyway. Start getting back into early morning schedules and all," He realized as he said the words they were completely true. In just over a week, Jeremy would be starting school, so he'd need to get up at least an hour earlier to make sure his son was good to go to get to school on time before getting himself to work. He wondered if Glenn and Maggie had ever mentioned that he had a son to Beth, and made a mental note to find a way to make sure she knew, but now was not the time. He continued, "So, while we're both not busy, when can I take you out for dinner?"

"Oh...um," she stammered. She was so cute when she sounded nervous. "When were you thinking?"

"What about tonight?" he suggested.

He heard a tiny sigh before she answered, "I'm really sorry, I have to work til close tonight. What about this weekend?"

_Hell, it's Thursday already_. Maybe she just didn't realize when she suggested it. "Mm...weekends are tricky," he replied. He tried to keep a good portion of his weekends free to be with Jeremy since he spent so much time during the week at the garage. He'd been promising to schedule a hunting trip soon and needed to make good on that. Plus he'd had to trade off a weekday to take Jeremy to school registration, which just shortened his free time anyway. "Next week sometime?"

Beth sighed, "We can try. I start student teaching next week, gonna need to get to bed pretty early, ya know?"

Daryl laughed sardonically, "Well, damn, girl. You're not making this easy on me."

"I'm sorry! I really..."

"Beth..." he interrupted, "I was joking." He grinned, "Maybe I'll just have to kidnap you and take you out."

Beth giggled nervously, "I'm beginning to think that's about the only way we'll get to see each other."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," his voice lowered, "we'll figure it out."

Beth hummed into the receiver, "So..."

"Yes?"

"So do you think about me?"

Daryl laughed right out loud, "Oh sure, now you don't hold anything back." She was playing all cutesy and teasing, and now...

"Well?"

He grew quiet a moment before answering, "Yeah...more than I probably should." He decided not to tell her that a routine oil change yesterday had taken nearly twice as long as normal because that damn "Fireflies" song had been on the customer's radio and all he could think about was the night they'd spent in her daddy's field.

"Really?" She sounded incredulous.

_Shit. Quick! Cover! _"I called ya, didn't I? Wasn't just cause ya woke me up." _Swell._

She sighed...again. Apparently he was having some kind of effect on her. "You're really sweet, you know that?"

"I do what I can," he teased. It felt nice to let this side of him out for some air and not be mocked by anyone.

"I think about you a lot, too, you know. It sucks that our schedules keep working against us," she complained.

Daryl let out a heavy sigh, "I know, sweetheart. We'll get there." _Again with 'sweetheart'? When the hell did that happen? What was this girl doing to me?_

"Yeah, I know," she agreed, her voice full of disappointment. "Hey, Daryl, I really hate to do this, but I've got a bunch of stuff I have to get done before I go in to work tonight."

"Alright, darlin'," he said. _Darlin'? What the hell?! _ "I'll keep working on finding a time for dinner. You can't get rid o' me that easy."

"I wouldn't want to," she said.

_Wait...she doesn't want to get rid of me? Is she _flirting_ with me? _He let a chuckle escape.

"Oh, shut up." He could hear her grin through the phone.

"Yes, ma'am," he obeyed. "I'll catch ya later, alright?"

"Alright," she answered. "Bye, Daryl. Have a good day."

"You, too. Bye, sweetheart."

He ended the call and watched the bottom half of the sun rise above the skyline. He wasn't sure where these little pet names were coming from, but they had rolled off his tongue with ease and without any feeling of embarrassment...and she certainly didn't balk at them like his ex had. Everything seemed so much easier with Beth, their current scheduling problems excluded. There was a natural flow to their conversations, complete with flirting and banter and...and just a really good feeling throughout. There was definitely something growing between them, something he was simultaneously afraid to reach for and afraid to let go of. He found himself wanting to talk to her more and more, and had already started coming up with ways to actually get a chance to see her...and soon.

Daryl arrived at the garage earlier than he had in a long time. Not early enough to beat Martinez, his boss, but enough that he could park his bike in a permanent shady spot to avoid riding home with a burning ass. Normally the coveted spot was taken by Tyreese, another mechanic, whose pride and joy was his 1970 Plymouth Barracuda that he'd rebuilt from the frame up and had gotten a custom paint job just this past spring. Every day, the man would park his black beauty under the shade of the large Georgia elm tree nestled in the far corner of the parking lot, but would make use of the custom made cover to keep any surprises from the birds inhabiting said tree from landing on his car – a concept Daryl never fully understood. _If you're gonna cover it up anyway, what's the point of parking in the shade...or having the sweet ass paint job in the first place?_ Thinking on it, Daryl glanced up into the branches above him and decided to risk it, heading into the tiny office area to stow his helmet and start his day.

Customers came to the shop, one after another, most needing basic maintenance, but for some reason, Daryl had an incredibly difficult time concentrating...again. While he didn't drop nearly as many socket wrenches today, he found himself losing track of where he was in the process of changing someone's oil or checking their air conditioner, forgetting if he had just tightened this bolt or needed to remove it, making a task that should have taken fifteen minutes stretch closer to thirty.

On top of all that, he hadn't heard from Beth all day. She had mentioned chores at home before working this evening, but thought she'd sneak a text here or there like she usually did. Of course, he could always initiate contact, but if she was that busy, he didn't want to bother her. Besides, Martinez was already giving him looks for lagging behind with the customers. If he stopped even for a moment to send off a text message, it would only piss off his boss that much more, and he'd rather avoid that if at all possible. Instead, he mentally shook his head and hunkered down to get through the day.

Martinez came around to tell his employees he was ducking out a little early, and to remind them that the garage would be closing early next Saturday and would stay closed through Monday so he could get the parking lot repaved. They all nodded and grunted their acknowledgment of his announcement. Martinez turned to Daryl, making sure he was still good to close up shop; Daryl checked in his overalls pocket to check for the key before answering his boss.

It gave Daryl a sense of pride that Martinez trusted him to lock up, even after only working at the garage less than a year – since his ex had staked her claim on the house in Atlanta but couldn't be bothered to take care of their kid. The thought still got his blood boiling in anger, though there wasn't much to be done about it now. While being (essentially) a single parent was rough, he loved his son and wouldn't trade him for the world. He was glad he had Merle and Carol as a support system and was just saving up as much as he could so he would eventually be able to get a decent place for him and Jeremy.

Once the last customers left and the other employees clocked out, Daryl gave the office a once over, made sure the books were balanced, and flipped the sign from 'OPEN' to 'CLOSED.' He crossed the parking lot to his bike, which thankfully was devoid of any bird droppings, and headed for Merle's house. When he walked in the front door, his nose picked up on the lingering aroma of what Carol had cooked for dinner. He was mildly disappointed that he hadn't gotten to eat with everyone else, while the food was still nice and hot, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Merle, Carol, Sophia and Jeremy were all in the living room, watching some show on TV. Carol commented that she'd saved a plate for him and that it was sitting in the microwave. Daryl nodded and mumbled his appreciation, ran downstairs to get out of his work clothes, then returned to the dining room to eat his late, though delicious, dinner. Once he'd finished and cleaned his place, along with washing up the dishes (his way of contributing to the meal), he joined his family in the living room.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was close to 8:30 already. A beam of inspiration entered his mind. "Anyone feel like some ice cream? Maybe from that little place up town? My treat," he offered.

Merle looked at him as if he had lobsters coming out of his ears. Carol didn't look shocked, per se, but had a suspicious look on her face. Both kids, of course, were all for a late night treat.

"Doesn't it close early in the middle of the week?" Carol questioned him, but he just shrugged in response.

"Hell, damn podunk town like this, only thing open now is the bars," Merle replied, an almost wistful look in his eyes.

"Well," Daryl said, grabbing the keys to his bike off the hook where he'd left them earlier, "doesn't hurt to check. If they're closed, I'll find something else. Just...got a taste for something sweet." He almost laughed at himself for the last comment, but fought it back, not wanting to have to explain just yet his real motivation for leaving. He was just glad that Jeremy was already sucked into the next episode of...whatever it was on TV...nothing Daryl recognized.

"You're taking the bike?" Carol asked. Daryl turned and looked at her, waiting for her to finish her thought, which he knew was forthcoming. "It's just, it's been looking like it's gonna storm all day."

"And how the hell you gonna carry my ice cream on the bike? It'd just melt in the side compartments," Merle added. Leave it to him to suddenly be the practical one. "Here," he dug his own keys out of his jeans pocket and tossed them toward Daryl. "Just take the truck. Don't go getting my sundae all melted."

Daryl rolled his eyes and placed his keys back on the hook before heading out to the driveway. He smirked has he started the truck's engine. He had every intention of going to the ice cream parlor, but it wasn't to get Merle a damn sundae.

He parallel parked behind what he was pretty sure was Beth's car. A glance inside the shop showed a group of teenagers taking up two of the tables and Beth wiping down the counters, keeping one eye on her customers and the other on the clock, an obviously forced smile on her face. Not long after he'd arrived, the group had apparently finished and left. Damn kids didn't even bother pushing in chairs or throwing anything away. He fought the incredibly strong urge to corral them back inside and teach them a thing or two about respect and common fucking courtesy, but didn't want to cause any kind of scene that might get Beth in trouble. Instead he watched them all leave, curious as to whether or not he knew any of their parents, and came up with a quick plan as to how he hoped this would all play out.

Daryl saw Beth clean up her customers' mess and return to behind the counter, wiping things down that already looked immaculate, and running the final count in the register. A glance at the clock in the truck showed it was fifteen minutes until the shop was officially closed for the night. He figured with as empty as the sidewalks looked and the threatening rumble of thunder in the distance, no one else was going to be getting ice cream tonight, so he slid out of the cab and entered the store, unable to help the grin as the door chime welcomed him.

He looked at Beth standing behind the counter, her back to him, and could swear her shoulders sagged a little. He didn't take it personally; if she wasn't watching the door, she didn't know it was him, and any other customer would have started looking at the menu, not the beautiful blonde. _Their loss._ "Any chance I could get a double dip?" he joked.

Beth spun around, surprise written all over her face. She beamed brightly at him, "Hey, you!"

He cocked an eyebrow at her, "Were you expecting someone else?"

She giggled, "I thought you were 'that guy'."

"Beg pardon?" he said, thoroughly confused.

"You know...when you're just about to close, and then 'that guy' comes in and you just know you aren't getting off work when you're supposed to," Beth explained, her smile never leaving her face.

Daryl nodded, "Ah...yeah, we have a different name for people like that. Probably not polite to say in a place like this." Daryl took in the bright, cheery ambience of the ice cream parlor, quite the opposite of the garage. His eyes finally took in her uniform – a Pepto Bismol pink dress with large red buttons running down the front and a little apron around her waist. It was like something out of Happy Days. "Nice get up, by the way," he teased.

Beth blushed, "Shut up. It's not like I picked it."

"No, it's cute...it suits ya," he playfully argued, forcing her blush to deepen.

"So...can I get you anything?" she offered.

"Nah. Just thought I'd come in here and wait," he said.

Beth shook her head, "For what?"

Daryl looked up at the clock, which had just reached nine o'clock. He turned back to her with a grin, "Closing time." Beth giggled again. "I just figured with our schedules bein' so crazy like they are, I'd just come and kidnap ya and take ya out. I did warn ya." _This isn't creepy is it? I mean, she's smiling and everything. God, I hope this doesn't make me some kind of creeper._

_No, sitting outside an ice cream place waiting for the past twenty minutes for the lone employee to get off work so you can "kidnap" her isn't creepy at all. Idiot._

Beth reached behind her and untied her apron, setting it on the counter. "I just need to finish up with the register and lock up. Five minutes, tops."

"I'll time ya," he winked at her and took a seat at one of the recently vacated tables.

True to her word, Beth had finished closing up in less than five minutes and came back out to the front to join Daryl. He stood up as she came closer, making sure to push in his chair, and met her in the middle of the floor. "I'm impressed." He offered her his arm, and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"Where are we going?" Beth asked.

"You'll see," Daryl smirked at her. He walked her to the door and waited for her to turn out lights and lock up before heading out to the sidewalk and walking down the street. They hadn't gone far when he turned toward a little diner at the end of the block. He escorted her inside, nodded at the waitress, and guided Beth to a booth in the corner. "I know, it ain't exactly the nicest place, but the food's good," he offered.

Beth grinned, "Yeah, I know. I had a sandwich from here for dinner tonight." Daryl frowned at that. Not that he was hoping to make this a dinner date, but still... It was clear she was just humoring him and he was just setting himself up for disappointment. And seriously, who in this town _hasn't _eaten at the diner. Of course she knew the food was good. _Idiot._ She reached across the table and took his hand. "Hey...you can always buy me dessert," she said with a smile. He raised his eyebrows, almost daring to hope he was wrong, that she wasn't just humoring him, and felt her squeeze his hand.

The waitress came over and greeted them both by name. Apparently they both came here pretty frequently. Beth ordered a piece of peach pie and a vanilla coke, while Daryl ordered a plate of chili cheese fries and a regular coke. When the waitress walked back to place the order, Daryl leaned forward. "What, no ice cream with your pie?" he teased.

"Very funny. One good thing about this job is that I very rarely want ice cream...ever!" she declared.

"I'll remember that," Daryl nodded. _Girl must really be sick of ice cream if she doesn't even want any with peach pie. And why is not wanting ice cream a good thing? She can't possibly be worried about her figure...because she's perfect._

_It's. It's perfect._

The waitress came back quickly with their order. She had just turned her back when Beth reached across the table to steal a fry. "Damn, woman! I didn't even get a chance and you're already stealin' off my plate!" he exclaimed, not nearly as upset as he sounded.

Beth grinned as she bit into the fry, "Ya gotta be quick." She chewed as delicately as one can chew a chili cheese fry, and Daryl couldn't help but watch. "Besides, they're best when the cheese is still melty," she explained after she swallowed.

"Yeah, yeah," Daryl acquiesced, rolling his eyes. _God damn, she's cute._

Beth took a sip of her vanilla coke. "You can steal a bite of mine if it makes you feel better."

"It ain't stealin' if ya give me permission," he said dryly, narrowing his eyes at her. Now it was Beth's turn to roll her eyes.

They joked and teased and talked as they ate, growing more and more comfortable with each other as the conversation progressed. Daryl kept asking Beth questions, about her family, her school, why she wanted to be a teacher. When she would ask questions, he would answer, but only the barest of details. His past was too screwed up to unload all that on her on a first date...if he were to call this a date.

When they'd finished and Daryl had paid the bill (despite Beth's protests to at least split the check), they both slid out of the booth and stretched their legs. Beth bent to grab her apron off the bench; when she stood back up, Daryl wrapped his arm around her waist and bent to press a quick kiss against her lips, completely catching her off guard. "See...that's how ya steal somethin'," he murmured.

Beth blinked rapidly as a blush crept from her neck over her cheeks and up to the tips of her ears. Daryl grinned and offered his arm to her again to lead her back out to the sidewalk, now littered with scattered raindrops. Apparently the storm that had been threatening the skies throughout the later part of the day had finally arrived.

As they walked back toward the ice cream shop and to their cars, the rain picked up and they were caught in a sudden downpour. Daryl released her hand from his arm and caught it in his own hand, running with her down the street. They stood under the awning of the ice cream shop, both laughing and out of breath.

Their eyes met – at least they did when Daryl managed to pull his away from her lips, which were slightly parted while trying to catch her breath through her smile. Looking up at him, with those wide blue eyes full of happiness and sweetness and anticipation, she was damn near irresistible.

Daryl took a purposeful step toward her and ran his fingertips along her forehead and down her cheeks, brushing her damp hair away from her face before cupping her face in his hands and bringing his mouth to hers. They met each other perfectly, their tongues hesitantly tasting each other's. Her arms slipped around his neck as one of his hands slid down her back to rest on her hip, pulling her even closer, the other cradling her neck. Their mouths moved together, taking their time tasting and teasing, stretching the kiss from simple to something more. Daryl mentally kicked himself for getting the chili cheese fries now that he could taste the peaches and vanilla coke on Beth's tongue, along with her own delicious sweetness.

He had a fleeting thought that this was, hands down, the best kiss of his life. Any other before, not that there were all that many, paled in comparison. Even the sweet little kisses the night all this started, their first kiss on the dancefloor. He'd committed them all to memory, but this one...he didn't want this one to end. He also didn't care where this sappy romantic side of him was coming from; he only cared about never letting this girl go, physically and metaphorically.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed immediately by a loud clap of thunder, making both of them jump back. They laughed a little before stepping out of their embrace, Daryl's hand rubbing along the back of his neck as his other hand reached into his pocket for his keys. The kiss had absolutely knocked him off his feet. He wasn't sure what to do or say next. Walk her to her car? Suggest they go back into the ice cream shop so they could be dry and have some kind of privacy and pick up right where they left off? _Yeah, cause that's romantic. Let's sit on the cold metal chairs and make out. Smooth. Idiot._

Apparently picking up on his awkwardness, Beth threw him a lifeline, "This was nice tonight. I had a really nice time."

"Yeah?" Daryl was relieved to see her tiny smile. "Yeah, me too."

Beth grinned, "You still aren't off the hook for dinner, though, you know."

Daryl narrowed his eyes at her, "Oh, don't you worry. I always make good on my promises."

"I trust you," Beth whispered. She looked at the rain falling in the street; it seemed to be lessening a little. "Well, I oughta head home. Don't want mom and dad to think I got washed off the road."

Daryl nodded, "Yeah, me too. Let me know when you get home so I...um...ya know..." he trailed off, stopping himself. _Is it weird to tell a girl that you worry about her safety?_

_Not weird at all...if you're her father. Creep._

Daryl shook the inner voice that was quickly becoming the bane of his existence out of his mind, at least for the moment.

"I will," she promised. She made to leave, but turned last minute, reached up on her tip toes and kissed him again. "You're not the only thief, you know," she kidded him.

_God, she's perfect. Sweet and sassy and funny and gorgeous all in one. _His hand cupped the back of her head and brought her to meet him again for another kiss, this one more urgent than the last, unable to get enough of her, and yet knowing that this would have to tide him over until the next time he saw her...whenever that might be. He pulled away and smirked at her, "Just giving you food for thought for tonight."

She smiled widely and smacked him playfully, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Good night, Daryl," she said as she made to leave.

He met her smile with his own. "Good night, Beth."

They both hurried to their cars, parked close enough to the front door of the shop. Beth hopped into her car and drove down the street. Daryl made a slightly illegal U-turn (_If there's no one to see you do it..._) and realized he'd have to come up with an excuse as to why he wasn't coming back Merle's with ice cream...and why it took him an hour to come home empty handed. He reasoned that "The shop was almost closed and he didn't want to be 'that guy,' and when he got to the grocery store all the good stuff was picked over then the rain was coming down so hard he had to pull over" was as good a story as any, and began practicing it in his head the rest of the way to the house. Sure he could just come clean and tell the truth, but he just wasn't ready to hear more of Merle's teasing, and something told him Carol wouldn't let him go without a slew of questions, playing not just the sister-in-law but acting as the big sister he'd never had.

He _really_ wasn't sure what to tell Jeremy, at least not just yet. He knew eventually he'd have to tell both his son and Beth about each other, but the timing needed to be just right. _You can't spring a ten year old boy on a girl not quite out of college when you ain't even sure you're dating or not. _

It turned out everyone had gone to bed by the time he returned, so he'd have until morning to perfect his story. On the way downstairs, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket: a text message from Beth letting him now she'd gotten home alright. He responded: **_Glad you're home safe. _**Then, a half-minute later, he fired off another message, hoping she'd take it in the spirit he meant it. **_Thinking about me yet?_**A few minutes passed before she answered.

**_Always. You?_**

**_Never stopped. Good night._**

**Thank you so much for reading - please leave a review!**


	5. Hunting

**Thank you so much to everyone who has commented, followed and favorited this story. Each and every notification I get makes me so happy, and definitely helps updates to come faster. Knowing all of you are enjoying the story makes me want to get more of it out there for you, so don't hold back! **

**Special thanks to property-of-murphy-macmanus for her amazing support. Love you, girl!**

Daryl couldn't believe their luck. Now that the garage was closing early tomorrow and would stay closed for the following two days, it seemed everyone and their dog needed extensive work done on their cars, and Daryl and his boss were forced to turn them away unless they didn't mind waiting until Tuesday to start repairs. He'd spent the morning finishing up all the longer jobs that absolutely had to be finished today, but he was caught up before noon.

"Of all days, huh?" Martinez asked him forlornly after turning down another customer. Daryl just gave a non-committal grunt in response and waited for the next customer needing an oil change to come through his bay door.

It had been at least twenty minutes since their last customer had left, so Daryl figured it was safe enough to send Beth a quick text message. She was usually the one to start conversations, so he thought it'd make a nice change for him to go first.

**_Hey sweetheart. How's your day?_**

**_Meh. Alright._**

**_Everything okay?_**

**_Yeah. Just stuff on my mind._**

_Well, that doesn't sound good. _He motioned to Martinez that he was going to head back behind the office for a quick cigarette and dialed Beth's number once he was settled at the picnic table the employees used for their breaks.

"Hello?" she answered, and Daryl was positive he could hear her smiling already.

"Hey. You okay?" he cut to the chase. Her text messages were usually much longer and held greater detail than what she'd been sending him today. Something must be going on that had her upset.

"I'm fine. Aren't you at work?"

"Yeah, but things are a little slow today. Thought talking would go faster and easier than texting." He left out the part about how he missed the sound of her voice in his ear.

"Good call."

"Yeah. So…what's going on?" he tried cutting through the small talk again to get to the heart of the matter.

"I got my student teaching assignment today," she explained.

Daryl knew from experience with Jeremy that some schools around Atlanta could be pretty rough. "That bad, huh?"

Beth giggled, "No. The schools are fine, but I'm gonna need to find an apartment closer to the schools. Ain't no way I'm driving almost an hour one way every day if I can avoid it."

He grinned as her normally smooth voice carried a slightly heavier twang. "Wow…watch it girl. You're starting to talk like me," he teased. "So what's the problem? Scared of moving out?"

"No, not scared, just…I don't want to end up living in a hole. I don't know what to look for or what to ask. Maggie's busy and I hate asking mom and dad."

Daryl thought of the crappy apartments he'd seen when he'd lived up in the big city, not to mention the less-than-safe neighborhoods. He didn't want to imagine Beth living anywhere near those places. Was she asking for his help? Did this _mean_ something? That something was going on between the two of them – the something he'd been silently been hoping for? Is this what boyfriends did for their girlfriends?_ Are we boyfriend and girlfriend? _"I…uh…I could go with ya if ya want," he volunteered.

"Oh my gosh, would you?" Beth asked excitedly. Daryl grinned as he imagined the look on her face, but frowned as she continued a moment later. "I couldn't ask you to, though. It's really sweet of you to offer, but I don't want you to have to take off work just for me."

"I wouldn't." He replied. Beth scoffed, but he continued, "We're having our parking lot resurfaced tomorrow. I get a free day off." He cleared his throat and added, trying to hide just how nervous he was about the prospect of spending the day with Beth, "You'd be worth calling off for, anyway." He hadn't intended to let the last part come out, but it was true. _God, when did you turn into such a sap?_

"Oh… Daryl, that's so sweet."

He cleared his throat again, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't let that get around." _That's all you need – Glenn and Maggie riding your ass for being sweet. Shit, had she told them yet? Was there anything to tell?_

"My lips are sealed."

"Tomorrow morning then? I could come pick you up, we grab some coffee and head out?" It would actually work out perfectly. Jeremy had been invited to a friend's house for an all-day pool party. Surely he could get Carol to drop him off.

"Sounds great. Thank you so much, Daryl. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Nah. Don't worry about it." Martinez appeared in the doorway making a gesture telling him to wrap things up. "Hey, I gotta get back, someone just pulled up."

"Alright. Have a good rest of your day."

"You, too. See ya."

Daryl rushed home after his shift, and before anything else, he asked if Carol could take Jeremy to his party. "Had some stuff come up," he used as a vague excuse. Carol cornered him with that suspicious look she had, the one where he could just feel her trying to peer into his brain to find out what was really going on. She never asked, and he didn't give any more clues, happy to leave it like that. Carol agreed, and Daryl thanked her with a smile...which was supposed to hide his sigh of relief.

Next he went down the hall to his son's room to explain the change in plans. Daryl found him sitting on the floor, leaning back against his bed, holding the Nintendo zapper gun, aiming it lazily at the TV screen. "Hey, kiddo," he said, sitting on the end of the bed next to Jeremy. "I ain't gonna be taking you to the pool party tomorrow."

"What?!" he said, not even bothering to pause his game. "Why can't I go?"

The disappointment in his son's voice stabbed through Daryl's heart, but he still managed to grin as he explained, "Did I say you couldn't go? I just can't take you. Carol's gonna."

"Oh." Jeremy seemed instantly relieved. A thoughtful look crossed his face and he asked, "How come?"

_Shoulda seen that coming._ "I, uh...I gotta help a friend out with something."

Jeremy looked at him skeptically. "You have a friend?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Watch it."

"Who?"

Daryl sighed. _No point in trying to hide it now. _"Her name's Beth."

A silent moment passed between them. "Beth?" Jeremy finally asked, and Daryl could see the puzzle pieces falling into place.

_Talk about a loaded question. _"Yeah. She's real nice, and she needs my help." Jeremy didn't seem convinced. "I tell you what, to make it up to you, we'll head out to the firing range Sunday and get you going on using a rifle."

Jeremy looked up at him again with a new excitement in his eyes. "Really?"

"Hell yeah," Daryl smiled down at his son. "Can't have ya tryin' ta take down a deer this fall with yer little zapper there." Jeremy grinned up at him, and Daryl had to bite back a laugh when he saw the space left from the tooth Jeremy had lost just a couple weeks ago. "Gotta get ya registered and everything, too. We'll do that Monday. Got me a long weekend."

Jeremy nodded. "Okay." He looked down at the plastic gun in his hand for a minute before looking back up at his father. "You like her?" Daryl frowned down at him, not quite sure what he was talking about. "Beth. Do you _like_ her?"

Daryl chuckled and mussed up Jeremy's hair. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. I think you'll like her, too. She's a music teacher. Ya still like music, right?"

Jeremy shrugged. "It's okay." He had apparently gotten to the phase where most subjects in school were just "okay." Daryl snorted a little at his response.

"Alright, kiddo. C'mon and we'll see if Carol needs help getting dinner ready."

Even though he didn't have to work, Daryl had set his alarm to make sure he was up nice and early. He realized he hadn't confirmed what time he was going to pick Beth up, but figured she was usually a pretty early riser, and he wanted to make damn sure he got to her house before anyone else (especially her father) was up and about to avoid having _that _conversation. Not that Beth was sneaking out – for all he knew, she'd already told her parents anyway – he just wasn't exactly looking forward to any awkward conversations. Sure, he'd met Beth's parents before, but never under _these_ kind of circumstances.

The weather forecast called for a beautiful day, which made Daryl grin at the thought of spending the day out on his bike with Beth sitting snug behind him. Jeremy's mom had never understood his love of motorcycles, which Daryl tried repeatedly to dispute with the fact that she'd never ridden one, but was always ignored. He wasn't sure how Beth was going to react to his plan, but he couldn't imagine her acting like it was beneath her to ride with him.

He arrived at the farm to find Beth already sitting on the porch waiting for him. A thought crossed his mind that she was waiting outside so he wouldn't have to come to the door, which could be her just being nice, but it could also mean she didn't want her parents catching wind of him. Was she embarrassed of him? Ashamed to be associating with him? Did she already know her parents wouldn't approve?

She was just wearing jeans and a shirt, nothing really remarkable, but he swore she looked just as beautiful as she did the day of Glenn and Maggie's wedding. He cut the bike's engine once he got close enough to the house and grinned as Beth hopped down the steps and practically skipped over to meet him. She looked so damn excited to see him, all smiles, that his self-doubt vanished at the sight of her.

"Morning!" she greeted him cheerfully.

"Morning," he smiled, and without thinking twice about it, reached out to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her in for a quick kiss. He wasn't sure where this sudden boldness and familiarity was coming from, maybe just from seeing her so happy to see him, but if she wasn't complaining, he wouldn't question it. "Ya ready?"

She nodded, a great big smile stretching across her face. Still seated on the bike, Daryl pulled the spare helmet from the side compartment and handed it to her, helping her fasten it under her chin. He held out a hand to help her keep her balance as she swung her leg over the seat of the motorcycle, holding onto his shoulder with her free hand. Once she was settled, she rested her hands on his sides, just below his rib cage, but he gently took them and brought them to rest just above his navel. He wasn't about to tell her he was particularly ticklish in that area. "Gotta hold on tighter than that. Don't want ya flyin' off once we get on the highway." _Yeah, and that's the _only_ reason you want her arms wrapped around you. _He fought to silence his inner monologue and focused on making sure Beth was safe.

Once he was satisfied with her grip around him, he started the engine and slowly made his way back toward the main road, letting Beth grow accustomed to leaning with him as he took each curve of the driveway. As they hit the highway that ran past the farm, Daryl gunned the engine, barreling them down the road, and Beth clung tightly around his waist and squeezed her thighs tightly around his. She let out an excited "Whoo!" as they sped down the road into town. Daryl grinned behind the mouth vent of his own helmet and tried to focus on the pavement beneath him rather than the woman behind him.

Daryl stopped at a café on the edge of town, near the interstate. He shut off the motor and lowered the kick stand, then held out his hand to help Beth off the bike. He knew from experience that the first time riding a bike did a number on a person's equilibrium and certainly didn't want her to fall. She stood like a newborn deer, all knock-kneed and staggered steps, which just made her all the more adorable in his eyes. He rushed to stop her from falling, his elbows hooking under her arms, hoping he hadn't hurt her. Girl couldn't weigh much more than a buck twenty-five; he felt positively huge standing next to her.

Once she was steady on her feet again, he took off his helmet, then reached up to unclip hers, noticing that some of her hair had come loose from her ponytail. After he stowed the helmets in the side compartment, he brought his hand up to tuck her stray hairs behind her ears. He wanted to kiss her – it seemed he couldn't get enough of kissing her – but decided to refrain, at least for the moment.

She smiled at him, a slight blush gracing her cheeks. She took a step back, allowing him room to dismount the bike himself. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her into the tiny café.

They placed their orders, both getting a coffee and a pastry – a bearclaw for him and a cherry Danish for her. He loaded his coffee with plenty of sugar (something he couldn't do at home without catching an earful from Merle) and led her to a small table near the window to eat their breakfast. Daryl started casting glances at Beth and chuckling before she finally let out a frustrated, "What?"

Daryl leaned over and reached out his hand to her chin, thumb extended. "You got a little cherry on your cheek," he explained softly. His eyes never left hers, but he still saw the blush creep over her cheeks as he wiped away the sticky sweet smudge. For an added little jolt to her system, he brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked the cherry goo off, still not breaking eye contact. Just watching her reaction was enough for him to suggest calling off the apartment hunting and head back to his place for the day. Well, almost enough.

The two finished their breakfast over light conversation, trying to escape the tension that was building between them. Beth showed Daryl her list of apartments, pointing out where they'd be going today. Daryl was glad when he saw none of her choices were in any bad neighborhoods. He'd take her, regardless of their location, but he was impressed with her decisions and realized she had a good head on her shoulders. They cleared their places and walked back out to Daryl's motorcycle, their arms brushing against each other with every step. The electricity growing between them was palpable, and Daryl wondered if she felt it, too.

He waited until she had her helmet in place again before helping her back onto the bike. He navigated down the interstate toward her first appointment, definitely enjoying the feel of her slender arms around him, not to mention the feel of her thighs squeezing his at every turn they made.

The leasing agent met them at the front door of the apartment building and showed them in. Daryl kept his thoughts to himself, wanting to see just how observant she was of her surroundings. He could tell she liked the place well enough, but he knew it wasn't good enough for her, though he was polite enough to not embarrass the leasing agent by pointing out all the unit's faults. After they had seen all the rooms, Daryl asked questions about the lease and utilities, stepping in where Beth had not. It wasn't that she was stupid, she just didn't know what to ask. That was the whole reason for him being here with her. Once all his questions were answered, the agent shook their hands before they walked back out to the motorcycle.

"So what'd you think?" Beth asked. She looked so darn hopeful, Daryl hated the answer he had to give her.

"No. Not that one."

"Why not? I thought it was cute."

"Your nose work okay?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "That smell in there was mold. Shit's hard to get rid of." He immediately regretted how he'd phrased his answer. _Idiot._ Quickly, he added, "Besides, ya never go with the first one you see," to try to soften the blow.

Beth hung her head and kicked at the ground. _Well, don't you just feel like a piece of shit? Asshole idiot._ She grabbed her helmet before hopping on the back of Daryl's bike again, not saying another word. Daryl felt awful. He certainly could have pointed everything out a little nicer. He grit his teeth and promised himself to go easier on her at the next one.

They made their way through several neighborhoods before arriving at her next appointment. Beth took off her helmet and looked at the building. Neither of them bothered with getting off the bike. The place was falling apart from the outside in. Even Beth with her lack of experience was bound to notice the building was in awful condition. He turned and gave her a doubtful look. Beth asked, "Do we even bother?"

"Your call, darling."_ Again with this 'darling' thing. What the hell?_ "Can't imagine it looks much better on the inside. Look along the foundation line. All those cracks…you're gonna have bugs and water coming in all year long."

Beth sighed heavily and fished her phone out of her purse. She dialed up the management company and cancelled her appointment. When she ended the call, she wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist and peeked over his shoulder. "Guess we've got some time to kill."

He glanced at her over his shoulder and smirked at her. "Any ideas?"

She grinned, "I trust you."

_Oh...shit. This girl..._

Daryl put his helmet back on, turned to her again and said, "Buckle up." She hurriedly fastened her helmet and grabbed hold of his waist just before he revved the bike's engine and rumbled down the street. He drove slowly through the neighborhoods, taking his time getting to his impromptu destination. They ended up pulling under a shade tree at the edge of the small park he and Jeremy often visited. Beth hopped off the bike and took off her helmet, placing it in the side compartment; Daryl was impressed with how quickly she had become accustomed to riding his bike. Daryl stood next to her and slowly ran his fingers down her arm before lacing his fingers between hers and pulling gently on her hand, silently asking her to follow him.

They found a comfy looking spot under the tree; Daryl sat down, leaning against the trunk, and pulled Beth down to sit between his legs. She looked over her shoulder at him questioningly. "What?" he asked, trying to sound innocent. "Can't have ya leaning against the tree, getting yer shirt all dirty." She smiled softly and relaxed against his chest; he sighed beneath her, letting himself relax as well. Her head fit perfectly in the space between his shoulder and his neck, her blonde hair, blown free during the ride despite wearing the helmet, tickled his skin...not that he minded.

"This is nice," she murmured contentedly.

"Mm-hmm," he hummed in agreement. She just looked so damn tempting, and having spent over an hour with her wrapping herself around him had worn on his resolve. He readjusted until he could bend his head down to kiss the side of her neck. She spun around and stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Sorry," he muttered. "Couldn't resist." He smiled guiltily at her, knowing his apology wasn't exactly being taken seriously.

While they weren't all that far from the parking lot, the tree they were sitting under provided enough seclusion that he let his resolve weaken even more. He leaned forward and caught her lips in a soft kiss, unable to resist any longer. When he felt the slight pressure as she kissed him back, his lips moved against hers, drawing her in. Daryl wound his arms around her waist and tugged her into his lap, his mouth never leaving hers. He smiled against her then teased the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue. She opened her mouth readily to him, accepting his tongue as he tasted her, that hint of cherry doing things unspeakable to him. He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, then cupped her jaw in his palm as he let the kiss take on a life of its own.

Beth slid her arms around his neck, pushing her tiny body closer to his. His hands felt rough against the light fabric of her shirt, and he felt once again just how much bigger he was as they damn near covered her entire back. He wanted to lose himself in her, but knew he needed to stop before they either got too carried away or someone there in the park noticed them and called the cops for public indecency. He pulled back suddenly, all but hating himself for having done so. Beth gazed up at him, a worried look crossing her face.

"Don't wanna get carried away," Daryl apologized. "We are in public, and you've got another appointment to keep coming up soon." The expression on her face looked like he'd just kicked her puppy. _Way to go, idiot. _"Hey." He raised her chin with his forefinger, waiting for her eyes to meet his. "Trust me, I'd love to get carried away with you." He brushed his thumb across the blush spreading on the apple of her cheek and kissed her again, trying like hell to keep the kiss innocent, before returning her to the place between his legs, letting her relax against him again, praying she didn't feel that he was partially aroused just from a few minutes of kissing.

Beth was leaning against him, his arms draped down her sides, her hands resting on his, but he could still feel the tension in her body. He realized what he'd just said to her. _Jesus. 'I want to get carried away with you?!' Why don't you just come out and say 'I can't wait to fuck you?' Idiot. _He thought about trying to explain himself so he didn't come across as some sex-crazed pervert making moves on her in public like this. _Wouldn't that just hurt her feelings, though? 'I don't _really _want to. I was just kidding.' Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon. _His internal clock gave him a mental ping, pulling him from his thoughts and letting him know they should start getting ready to head out again if she wanted to make her next appointment.

He took her all over the area, meeting with agent after agent, inspecting apartment after apartment. After a while, Daryl felt they started to blend in together, and he wondered how she was keeping them all straight. As the day went on, he noticed her getting more and more frustrated at not having found a place just for her. "Don't freak out just yet. We'll find something," Daryl reassured her as they climbed on the motorcycle to meet with yet another agent.

After the last appointment of the day, Beth was visibly disappointed. Daryl made an executive decision. "Come on. You'll feel better after lunch." He held her hand and led her inside a hole-in-the-wall deli he used to frequent. They ordered their sandwiches and found a table near the back. He watched as Beth nibbled at her sandwich and wished he had something comforting to say to help brighten her mood. He continued eating, but he noticed she was distracted by something on the wall near them. She pointed a flyer out to Daryl, "What do you think?"

He read it over; the flyer advertised a place for rent, the address just a few blocks away. Daryl shrugged his shoulders as he swallowed his last bite. "Sure. Why not?" He tried to sound hopeful, "Who knows, you might get lucky." He could have kicked himself for letting the innuendo slip out, but her blush showed she wasn't taking it too badly, so he just winked at her. Apparently she was okay with a little flirting here and there...not that he really knew how to flirt to begin with.

Beth quickly finished her sandwich, apparently in a better mood with this new prospect, and cleared both of their places before Daryl had a chance to. She was obviously in much better spirits, and Daryl found the feeling contagious as they walked out to his bike, hand in hand.

They pulled up to the house, and Daryl could tell Beth was excited. She all but ran up the path to the front door and knocked. Even though his legs were much longer than hers, he had a hard time keeping up with her. An older, bearded gentleman with wild eyebrows and soft brown eyes opened the door. "May I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Beth Greene," she introduced herself. "I saw the flyer for an apartment to rent at the deli down the block and wondered if it was still available."

"Ah! Nice to meet you. My name is Dale...Dale Horvath," he offered his hand for a handshake. "Yeah, the apartment is still available. Let me open it up for you." He stepped outside and led them both to the back of the house. He climbed the steps that led up to the second story door and let them in.

They stepped into a small living room, and Beth started exploring the space on her own. Daryl stayed behind with Dale in the living room. He had a feeling Beth had just found her new home, so Daryl just wanted to get a feel for her new landlord, feeling more and more protective of her the more time he spent with her. If she was going to be living up here on her own, he wanted to make sure the guy wasn't a creep or a crook. To his relief, within minutes of conversation, he realized Mr. Horvath was definitely a good man to be trusted.

"We'd saved up for when we retire, bought an RV and planned to travel the country. Then my Irma was diagnosed with cancer and...well, it's just been me for a little over a year." His eyes glanced over at Beth, who had come to join them in the middle of the room. He smiled, a little sadly, and continued, "I sold the RV and poured myself into converting the house to split into this apartment. All this room was far too much for just me. It'll be nice to have someone close by again."

Daryl looked over to Beth, "Wanna give me a tour?" Beth grinned and took him by the hand and led him back through the apartment. Everything looked good to him, but he wanted to let her take the reins on this one. "So what do you think?"

She grinned up at him, "I really like it. What do you think? Is it...okay?"

"Seems to be," he shrugged. "Neighborhood seems pretty nice. Won't take much to keep this place warm in winter, everything seems pretty on par as far as pipes and electric. It's up to you, though."

Beth smiled up at him before going back to talk to her potential new landlord. "I love it! What's the next step?"

"I'll run downstairs and grab the paperwork for you to fill out," he excused himself.

Daryl was leaning in the entryway to the kitchen, watching Beth, getting a kick out of how excited she was. She came over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, and he pulled her into a loose hug. Their eyes met as he looked down at her. "Thank you so much for coming with me today. It really, really means a lot to me," she said softly

"Ain't nothin'," he shrugged it off, and it really wasn't. It made him happy to see her happy. A part of him had grown fiercely protective of her, and he was just glad they'd found a good place for her.

"It is something," she argued. "You took your day off to spend with me, and you helped me so much. What can I do to repay you?"

Daryl only smirked and lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. "There. We're even."

Beth rolled her eyes and grinned up at him. "Daryl..." she started, but was interrupted by Dale returning with the paperwork. She brought the papers into the kitchen to fill out on the counter, then wrote out a check to cover the deposit.

"When do you plan on moving in?" Dale asked.

"Over the weekend, if that's alright."

"It's fine with me," the older man smiled warmly. He held out two shiny silver keys on a key ring. "Welcome home, young lady."

Daryl watched with pride as Beth locked up her apartment and walked with her to his bike. He was half tempted to drive below the speed limit, or even take state highways instead of the interstate, just to make their time together last a little longer. They were just outside the city limits when he heard Beth yell over the rush of wind to ask him if they could stop for dinner before taking her home. Daryl grinned and nodded and steered them in the direction of the diner. He ordered a bacon cheeseburger meal while she got a grilled chicken sandwich; as they waited for their food and over the course of their meal, they talked about all manner of things, mostly having to do with Beth's new apartment. She was positively radiant with excitement, and Daryl just marveled at her – her enthusiasm as much as her beauty. He noticed that she kept ordering refills on her vanilla coke, and he played along, realizing neither of them wanted the day to end, regardless that they couldn't escape the reality of being apart for much longer.

Beth snatched up the check before Daryl had a chance to, arguing that he had spent his day carting her around and giving free advice and she owed him for that since he wouldn't let her pay for gas. Daryl could only scowl at her, not wanting to start a fight after the day they'd spent together, but made a note to be quicker on the draw the next time they went out, swearing that this woman would never pay for a meal on his watch ever again.

Finally, they couldn't avoid taking Beth home any longer. Daryl crept the bike down the driveway, finding no need to go any faster than he had to in order to keep their balance. Beth slid off the seat from behind him, using his shoulders for balance, but having no trouble standing like she had earlier, and handed him the spare helmet. "Thanks again for everything, Daryl. Really, it means so much to me that you came along."

He swung his leg over the bike to stand, facing her. "Don't worry about it. It was fun for me, too, ya know?" In fact, he couldn't think of a time he'd had more fun with a girl, not for a long...long time.

"Really?" she asked incredulously. Like he would make something like that up.

"Well, yeah. Spend all day outside instead of in the garage, out on my bike with my girl wrapping her arms around me the whole time..." he cut himself off, realizing what he'd just called her. _What the hell are you thinking?_ He felt the tips of his ears grow warm, already knowing they were glowing red.

"I'm your girl?" she asked softly. He only shrugged and looked at the ground. God, he really was an idiot. Her question told him that she was just in this for a little fun, not for anything serious. And why the hell would she? He was at least ten years older, an old redneck mechanic, and she was on to bigger and better things with her college degree and fully-functional family. Who was he kidding?

He felt Beth gently place her hands on either side of his face and tilted him to look at her. "Let me try that again," she grinned. "I'm your girl." It was a statement this time, not a question. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips...and his heart skipped at least a couple beats.

Not giving her a chance to pull away, Daryl pressed her body close to his and poured all the emotions he was feeling into their kiss – happiness, excitement, and relief among others. He felt her fingers slide through his hair, and let his own wander along her waist, around her hips to the small of her back. Their tongues chased each other, tasting and tempting along the way. He was completely lost in the taste and feel of her, not able to get enough of how closely they were pressed together. He stepped into her, straightening as he did so his hips aligned with hers...just as Beth shifted slightly to the side. She immediately broke the kiss with a gasp and stepped back. His eyes snapped open as he realized just how much of him she had felt brushing against her.

"Beth, I'm so..."

"Daryl...I..."

They both laughed nervously after interrupting each other. Beth spoke again first, "I should probably head back in. Besides, you've got work tomorrow."

"Yeah. It's gonna suck going back after today, though," Daryl half-heartedly complained. It wasn't her fault he was suddenly addicted to her, all of her. He found himself wanting to touch her again, and brushed the backs of his fingers against her soft cheek.

"Let me know when you get home?" she asked, just barely leaning into his touch.

"Think about me until I do?" he grinned.

Beth blushed again and smiled shyly, "You know it."

"Alright, darlin'. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Good night, Daryl. Thanks again."

"G'night Beth," he murmured, fighting the urge to kiss her just once more. He started up the engine, giving her one last, longing look, hating to leave her without knowing when he'd next see her, and drove down the long driveway and back to Merle's house.

**Thanks for reading - please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


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